Seve Ballesteros back in hospital for fourth brain operation

Five-time major champion Seve Ballesteros underwent more surgery on Tuesday,
this time to drain fluid from his brain.

Under supervision: Seve Ballesteros returns to hospital just two weeks after he was releasedPhoto: PA

By Telegraph staff and agencies

6:07PM GMT 02 Dec 2008

Ballesteros was in stable condition in the intensive care unit after the operation to implant a valve in his brain, La Paz hospital said in a three-line statement.

Doctors also repaired a bone defect stemming from one of the procedures the golf great has undergone since his initial operation on Oct 24 to remove a malignant brain tumour.

A hospital official declined to say if the latest surgery meant the 51-year-old Ballesteros had taken a turn for the worse in his recovery. He had been released from intensive care Nov 18 but remained in hospital.

Ballesteros was first admitted on Oct 6 after fainting at Madrid's international airport.

Ballesteros, who won a record 50 tournaments on the European Tour, has called the situation the "hardest challenge of my life."

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The Spaniard won three British Opens and two Masters and is often praised for having transformed European golf. He also helped Europe beat the United States in the 1985 Ryder Cup to begin two decades of dominance, and captained the European team to victory in 1997 at Valderrama, Spain.